Everything
by Akuneisa
Summary: [Elricest] Alphonse receives an unexpected but not unwanted Valentine's present. Rated for mild language. Oneshot. [[First Story, be kind.]]


A/N: Well, I'm very proud to be typing up my first one-shot. I'm a bit new to this pairing, and am kind of getting used to filling their roles. Does everyone (Meaning Edward and Alphonse) seem... in character? .

Warnings: Elricest. Slight Language. FLUFF. Beware. Oh, and sorry for the lateness of this fic. I just never got around to posting it on V-day. ;3 It took some getting up off of my lazy keister and posting something. Nonetheless, enjoy.

* * *

The box was a deep red, adorned with a fine ribbon wrapped delicately around it. Of course, like all the other ones, this package was in the shape of a heart. It wasn't expensive by any means; and Edward figured he could pretty well afford it. There were several other packages that held something other than chocolate already on the counter. He had looked through nearly every single one, but none of them seemed to have what he needed.

Deep gold eyes traced over everything on the tiny outdoor shelves as he attempted to find just the right item. Sure... some of the gifts were nice- no doubt about it. But for some odd reason, they didn't hold the message he was trying-no, _striving_ to create.

The thought of transmuting something into a gift entered his mind momentarily, but he shoved the thought aside. Because this was Valentines Day- the one holiday he hated with a passion. But was determined to make perfect this year.

This year, he told himself, was different.

Edward grabbed one last item and let it join the accumulation of them on the counter. The clerk- a scruffy looking guy with wild gray hair- nodded and began calculating the total of the purchase. "Finally done, eh?"

The boy grinned one of his most dangerous grins. "Yeah... I guess I am."

The total showed up on a little notepad the clerk had been holding and he held it in front of Ed's face."All these presents must be for someone you really love." he stated, more of a comment than a question. The items slipped into a light red bag and Edward handed the man a bill.

"You could say that, I suppose," and with a brisk turn, bag in hand, he left the small outside shop and began his journey to a new destination.

* * *

February was supposed to be the dawn of spring, but for the past month and a half it had done nothing but rain in Central. Absolutely nothing.

And Ed instantly regreted shopping for this holiday in the middle of one of such rainstorms. It was nearly dark and the streetlamps were barely being lit. The city was beautiful when everything was bright with the little lights from each store. And it almost did more to boost his adreneline that everything was moving at such a slow rate- and there he was; deep blue coat pulled up over his head, running quickly down the dirt roads.

There was such apprehension racing through the males heart... such anxiety in his every breath. With every step he ran he was that much closer to home. To a place where all his emotions came falling down around him. But beneath his hesitance lay something much more profound; something only recently discovered... something--

A quiet sound in an alley Ed had been passing quickly snatched his attention away, and he stopped short of the street he would be taking to return back to the house. He peered through narrow golden eyes into the darkness of the alleyway, barely making out the shape of a crate. There was a soft sound coming from the inside of it, and he stepped foreward toward it, hugging his bag close, no longer aware of the falling rain.

When he was within its range, he gently kicked the box with his foot and a small whine escaped it. "...the hell?" he muttered as he leaned down to reach into it. Fur brushed past the top of his hand, and instantly he knew what must be inside of the crate. Grabbing blindly at the mass of warmth, Edward scooped the thing into his free, auto-mail arm.

A young, barely born kitten lay there, it's eyes not even opened yet. Judging by the sounds coming from the box, he could tell the thing had company. Edward sighed and barely turned his eyes toward the bag full of gifts, then back to the cat. He shook his head sadly and gave it a kiss on the forehead before replacing it back with it's own family.

"Sorry little guy," he whispered, blonde hair falling in his face as he knelt down to gaze at the contents of the case. His voice could barely be heard over the pounding of rain on rooftops. "You would be a wonderful gift for him... but I've already spent so much. I can't possibly afford to pay expences for a kitten. Take care."

A few excess drops of water fell from the elder Elric's nose as he got up, took a long last look into the alley, then continued on his way.

* * *

A drowsy set of bronze eyes raised to the sound of the front door opening and slowly closing. Alphonse sat up straight from his postition at the kitchen table.

In a moment, Edward passed by him and headed down the hall without even a word to his little brother. The words were beginning to from at the edges of Al's mouth, but were quickly lost under the sound of a slamming bedroom door. And the younger boy had to beat down the impulse to rise from his seat and go and ask his brother what was wrong. He cringed at the sound.

And the card that Alphonse had made and had set against a small pot of flowers fell down like an after shock from the outburst of un-justified aggression Edward had shown.

And Al sat there awkwardly, unsure of his next move... because whatever he did to upset the older of the two, must've been pretty bad. It had been a long, long time scince he had returned home and went straight to his room without a, "Hey, Al." or a, "Did you make dinner yet?" as inconsiderate as it was, it was odd for Edward to just skip out on it.

* * *

He wondered.

And after a while, wondering wasn't enough. He wanted to _know_. The gifts for Alphonse sat in front of him, begging to be recieved. But Edward was scared. Many things in life had frightened him... but now that Al had gotten a body of his own, everything seemed normal enough.

But- it wasn't. Not really. He couldn't even pretend to be alright. Not when every bit of his brother seemed to make him more pained. Like no matter how much he did, he could never atone for the mistake he made. It wasn't enough to have Alphonse back to his old self. So he vowed to himself that Al would be the center of his world for the remainder of his life. That every breath he took was put to making the boys life a little better or a little easier. Even though sometimes, he fell short. And still depended on Al to do little things.

With a trembling hand, Ed retrieved the blank card from the inside of the bag and absently began scribbling words in it. And just as he finished, a knock on his shut door brought him back to reality. "Brother...?" Alphonse's voice sounded so soft and hurt, it only did more to add to the guilt that set in Ed's lovely golden eyes. "Can... I come in?"

Edward swallowed hard, and glared lazily at the door. "Y-yeah..." and for a moment he was at least sort-of happy he had a bit of confidence when saying it.

Carefully, as though he were afraid any movement would break the thin strand of balance he was on, Al stepped in and settled himself in front of his older brother at the foot of the bed. In his lap was a pale blue pot with several flowers in it, and in one hand was a card that he extended toward the other boy.

Confusion mingled with surprise over the blonde males features and this caught Al off gaurd. He began to draw his hand back, but before he could Edward reached foreward and took the card, but didn't open it. Instead, he placed it aside. "Al, I have something to give you first." He scooted the red bag over to the younger and looked at him shyly.

A light smile lit Alphonse's mouth and he pulled the bag closer, moving the flower pot next to him. One by one, he began pulling each package out, marvelling at the feel of ribbons and lace and breathing in the auromatic scent of chocolate in several of them. In the less decorative boxes where small 'good luck' charms and little things that might serve as a comfort to the boy.

Al touched each one, then raised his bronze eyes to meet Edward's gold ones. A slow, lazy blush made it's way across his cheeks and he started to fidget with his presents. "Brother... I don't know what to say," he was fighting tears silently and praying the elder wouldn't notice.

His body shaking, Ed reached foreward, and brushed his fingers across the wet tracts making their way down his brother's soft, slightly cherubic face. "You don't have to say a word..." with a small tug he pulled Alphonse a bit closer and kissed him as light as he could.

It tasted like home; a distant home. True and warm and real. the younger of the two of them breathed in the other boy's scent and it was all too familiar- It was Edward... and there was nothing more wonderful than that fact alone.

Hesitation falling into his stomach, Ed pulled away, his flesh hand slipping down Al's chest and onto his lap. "Happy Valentine's day, Alphonse," he whispered, an angelic looking smile forming his mouth.

Alphonse averted his eyes and his face flushed completely now. He opened his mouth to speak but words failed him. Affection had never been Ed's strong point - and this sudden onslought of it only did more to worsen the young boy's crying. The kiss had been unexpected, certainly, but not unwanted. Of course, Edward had no way of knowing this though... and when his golden eyes flashed across to gaze at Al's face, he felt his heart sinking and then being ripped out like it had never been before.

"Oh... I'm s-sorry. I just thought you..." it was then his voice cracked. The room closed in on him and his breathing began to quicken; it was as though he had made a large mistake and there was no way it could be fixed.

On an impulse, the elder Elric stood quickly and grabbed his jacket from it's resting place on the head of the bed. "Al, I've got to go... somewhere. Sorry." He ran out of the room leaving Alphonse to stare blankly at the wall, tears brimming and re-brimming in his sad bronze eyes. Faintly, he heard his brother leave the house and the front door shut quietly, but in all honesty, he was still too stunned to let it register.

* * *

Rain pounded down mercilessly. It drowned out any and all sound that would regularly be heard. The dusty roads of central were splattered with water, making mud and such a hard terrain to walk through. Some sections of the city were flooding, and anyone with commen sense would have descided to stay home.

Edward wasn't one of them. He kept his head bowed in defeat, and his tears mixed with rain. Debris from the ground slicked across his black and red shoes. His heart stung and his mouth -- once touched by Alphonse's-- burned hot and dry. He had gone to so much trouble... he had only thought of Al all day. What went wrong?

Rage compressed and finally filtering, Edward let out a yell full of anger, and slammed his right shoulder against the nearest building. Brick connected with auto-mail and pain slid down all his senses.

"Fuck..." he winced, teeth clenched. Ed's flesh hand crept up to touch the spot that had caused him the hurt. Uncaring about the mud, and his clothes, he let himself fall to his knees. "...why?" He whispered. It was the only question he could think to ask, because it was the most sensible one; why? Why had he set himself up for rejection? Why did he love his brother so unconditionally? Why did he love the warmth inside Al's smile? Or the way his hair fell this way and that whenever he laughed? And the way he was so compassionate to every living thing- regardless of their size or stature in the world... how he would love anything he could hold.

Ed touched his flesh hand to the ground, letting the little rocks and dirt filter through his fingers. Alphonse was- and would always be- his world. His life. His light on the darkest of days.

His everything.

Confidence and strength flooded over his features as he looked up into the sky, rain falling on his pale skin. There was only one last thing he could think to try... and if it worked..._ if _it worked, maybe he could be Al's everything, too.

* * *

Alphonse reached out, bronze eyes wide and soft with wonder, as he let his hands trail across the small tuft of fur. The kitten still lay in Edward's arms, purring quietly.

"Brother..." Al whispered, voice shaking, "He's beautiful. You're giving him to me? I can keep him?"

Ed raised his eyes to meet his little brother's and he nodded. His clothes stuck to him with the mix of things from the ground he had been sitting in a while before. "I really am sorry, Al. I didn't mean to scare you." The words held certainty, but at the same time, fear.

It took a moment for the younger Elric to understand what he was talking about. And when that realization hit, a blush came up to join it. Al gathered the kitten against his chest non-chalantly, and stroked it's back. It had streaks of red and deep brown all along it's fur and on his head was a perculiar little white patch that resembled something like a heart. He truly was a Valentine's cat.

Edward stood there staring awkwardly at Al, unsure of what he was supposed to say. He began to move foreward, words forming at his mouth, but Alphonse moved first. He turned around and gently placed the kitten on the couch he had been sitting on, prior to his brother's arrival, and then looked at Ed, a vague, indiscernible sort of smile just budding at the corners of his lips. On the couch, the kitten pawed around helplessly searching for a comfortable place to lay. One paw whacked at a card that had been there and it caused both boys to cast their eyes in that direction.

It was the card Alphonse had recieved from his brother- one that he had been reading over and over again until Edward had come home. Al slowly took it away from the cat, and opened it, scanning his eyes across it.

No words had been spoken for a few excrutiatingly long moments, and the silence was driving Ed crazy. "Look, Al. Everything I wrote in there came from here," he motioned to the area on his torso where his heart was. "And I wanted to let you know, that I love you."

By now, Alphonse had dropped the card and it lay open on the ocean blue carpet. His hands where over his mouth and his eyes where quite possibly as large as tennis balls. Even if he had wanted to speak, chances are he probably couldn't have- all words seemed to have abandoned him when the golden eyed boy's voice reached his ears.

Ed stepped closer, even still, and wrapped his arms full around the other male's neck, pulling him in for a warm, clumsy hug. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Al could feel how soaked Edward was, and he would get mud all over himself if they were to stay in this position for long. But, truthfully he didn't care. Because his brother was in his arms now, and holding him in a way no one had ever held him before. Alphonse craved the contact, submitted to it-- let his eyes fall closed under the sheer strength of their bond. And in a weird sort of notion, it felt like this was normal. Like they did it everyday.

"Al...?" the word was hushed and content, and warm against the younger's neck.

All Alphonse could manage to do was hold Ed in return, and offer a soft, "Mm?" in response, because his heart had a mind of its own and he didn't believe there was a ground anymore.

Pale hands slipped down a bony back and found the dip in it, where they stopped. Edward heaved a long breath, took in the sweet innocent smell of his brother's youth-- although they were only a year apart, and ignored the feral tears that slid past the edges of his stunning eyes. "Please... please be _my _Valentine this year, next year, and every year after for as long as we have eachother...?" All courage left him here, and his voice shook with anxiety.

Alphonse felt his cheeks- if possible - glow an even darker shade of crimson. "O-of course," he whispered against Ed's shoulder. "You're the only person who can be in every part of my heart at any given time. Brother... I love you, too."

And it took only those few words to set the elder boy's soul alight. To make it known in his heart that he would be able to hold Al whenever he cried-- As a brother, as a friend, and... as a lover. Because it was who he was... and nothing more.

Al's everything.

Later, neither of them could really comprehend how long they spent in eachothers soft embrace, whispering sweet nothings into their ears, and relishing in the profound feeling of new love. Real love.

All the while the cat remained sleeping on the couch and the card still lay ajar on the floor, words face up and dearly read, countless times;

Alphonse,

For the years we have shared- for our tears, our hopes, our fears... we've been beside one another, our goals the same, our thoughts in unison.

You've been through far too much to deserve any pain. I want to be here for you for the rest of our lives. I want to be your everything... just as you are mine.

I thought I could ignore this one day, but then you came to mind, and I realized the only way I can expiate all the wrongs I have done is to be here in your life.

I love you, Al. With everything I am.

--Happy Valentines Day...

Love,

Edward.

* * *

--Owari

Thank you to anyone who reads this and enjoys it. Comments are greatly appreciated.


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